Release Schedule Shenanigans
All right, Stranger Things season 5. It’s out. It came out on Thanksgiving. To be fair, it was the day before Thanksgiving, but still. What’s with this release schedule? Stranger Things season 5 part one. Enjoy your Thanksgiving. Part two. Enjoy your Christmas. Stranger Things finale. Enjoy your New Year’s. I mean, I’m sure it’ll play well for people watching it in a group setting like, “Hey, we just finished Christmas dinner.Let’s watch Stranger Things.” But for folks like me who make blogs about such things, it just means gets to you late as opposed to never because I never did a video about Stranger Things season 4. I don’t know why. And by don’t know why, it just means I don’t remember. Usually when that happens, it means life things got in the way of the YouTube thing. These videos are very timely and at a point it’s like, oh, it’s late. By late, I mean too late, so I guess we move on.
Season 4 Recap and Return to Form
So in this post, I might reference season 4, talk about some things I liked about season 4. All in all, I thought it was a great return to form of sorts for Stranger Things. I’m usually against entertainment bringing back dead characters because it always feels like desperation. But with Matthew Modí, Papa, they tied him into something that actually expanded the plot. So, okay. Plasming’s private Joker getting more screen time. I’m sold.Spoiler Warning
Also, this post is going to have spoilers. Consider it a spoiler blog. Not going to be a playbyplay. I say that because there will definitely be things in here where you’re going to be like, “He didn’t talk about X.” But I don’t feel like making a three-hour video today.Vecna as the Nemesis
I don’t necessarily buy the fact that Vecna was this thing behind everything and he’s been the one controlling everything the whole time, but rather than having the upside down being this evil entity in general, it does give a focus. It gives a nemesis and I like that, which makes me buy that. So, when I say I don’t like these things that things do, what I mean is I don’t like it when things do it badly.Make Hopper Great Again
And I like how the campaign for season 4 was apparently make Hopper great again, right? Like they Homer Simpsoned him where you have a character who’s the everyday guy and they eventually write him to be the village clown. Felt like they did that with Hopper. It annoyed me. And then season four they made Hopper awesome. They made him efficient.I mean he had to rot in a Soviet clink to get there. The whole time I was watching that go down I was like it’s like a penance the character has to pay because of what the writers did to him. Didn’t think my enjoyment of Stranger Things was so closely tied to Hopper, but here we are.
Back to Season 5: The Callback
So, the intro to Stranger Things season 5 part 1 goes back to Stranger Things season 1. We see Will in the upside down kind of solidifying that Vecna was there from the beginning, but he basically gives him the AP reququum. I mean, that’s what I thought of anyway. It was like, “All right, let’s just basically this tentacle vomits a bunch of demogorgan larvae down this kid’s throat, which we saw at the end of I believe it was Stranger Things season 1.”Hawkins After the Earthquake
After Vcna created his four points in Hawkins, the ground tears open and you’re thinking, “All right, now people will know that these demons are coming from this other realm, whatever you want to call them. And Eddie Mson’s name will be cleared.” Well, not really. Time has passed. The government has patched up the cracks in the ground with metal plates. Hawkins is under quarantine. And our crew of Goonies kind of, cuz they’re a little older than Goonies now, Robin’s a DJ. She pokes at the government broadcast. what could be deemed conspiracy theories. The crews mobilizing, sneaking out of the quarantine zone into the upside down looking for VCNA.The Cast is Getting Older
Okay, we just got to talk about this. These kids are 30, dude. They’re not 30. They’re definitely in their 20s. And you see it. To be fair, Andrew Garfield was 30 when he played Spider-Man, Peter Parker, the high school student. But I think this is the difference. Andrew Garfield was Peter Parker. He was a 30-year-old playing a teenager and it was the first time we saw that 30-year-old play a teenager. He has a young face. He has a young look. So, I guess it worked.Whereas the Stranger Things cast, we’re all like 12 in season 1. Our internal clocks kept trucking along. So, the movie’s like, “Hey, it’s been four years.” We’re like, “The it has. I’ve seen these kids age into adults, but you’re still telling me they’re kids.” And I just They’re not though.
Will’s Hair and Wardrobe
It really comes down to Will. To be honest with you, I’m glad they they at the very least the costume department was like, “Look, we have to at least give him clothes that, you know, look like we’re not trying to make him 10.” Season 4, it felt like he was wearing his little brother’s clothes cuz he didn’t want to grow up or something. this season, you know, he’s wearing clothes that look like he’s at least fashionable, except the hair. Look, here’s the reality.If you were there, you remember. And if you weren’t, ask your parents. They will either admit that this is true or they will lie to you and say it’s not. We all had that haircut, man. We all had the bullet. But the call was made for the other kids to kind of grow out of it. Finn Wolfhard grew out of it and they were like, "That’s right. Okay, he grew out of it. will cannot for reasons. Did he piss someone off? Anyhow, yeah, these kids are adults playing kids. And we see it more clearly here than other things that do pretty much the same thing.
They’re looking for Vecna. They’re just going to kill this guy. They get the notion. I think Vecna is in the military base. It was intense as though, man. Because Vecna’s capturing these kids and military is like, we need to round up all these kids. We’re going to protect them or have them in one spot so we can just, you know, make his job easy. So, a lot of demogorgans just tearing holes through the fabric of reality, coming through from the upside down, chasing kids.
Like there’s a whole Home Alone sequence going on. Booby traps and whatnot. Well, that was earlier. Still, the Home Alone sequence was really good. Those demogorgans are hard to kill, man. I mean, jeez, it’s all based on Dn D names. Like, what dice roll is going to take them out? You’re totally going to have to save the game, roll the dice. When you don’t crit, reload your save. Something I never did on Balders’s Gate 3.
And he has her in this place. So, the implication there’s this wall in the upside down that’s surrounding upside down Hawkins. We’ve never seen it before, so I’m like, is it is it a new wall? Just because we haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it’s new or not new, but I don’t know. Doesn’t matter. Point is, there’s a wall. And I was thinking like on the other side of that wall would possibly be this place that Holly Wheeler is. But then Sadie Sink Maxine is there. I was like wait the upside down is a physical place. Like you tear through reality to go to this place.
So it’s a physical place that at a point you go into a place and you’re possibly in VCNA’s mind because she Maxine is in a coma in a hospital. She even brings all this up and she’s like how does it work? I have no idea. And neither do I. I mean, we’re dealing with magic in the8s, folks. Magic, alternate dimensions, demons, force powers, upside down, kids who are the offspring of parents who did LSDs to most of my classmates. It’s this wild meta thing where mental headspace meets physical reality meets upside down meets our world. Don’t know.
I’m like, what happened between these two in between seasons? Granted, there is some fair time in between seasons. I hope season 5 does flesh it out. Let us know what happened. I really want Eddie Mson’s name to be cleared by the end of all of this. If it takes a mind flare coming up from the cracks in the ground and do an exposition dump to the president of the United States in this show. Eddie Mson did not kill anyone. Feckn did. That was really convenient. But I guess that kid’s name is cleared now. Awesome. I want everyone to know he’s great. Did one of the greatest needle drops in series history.
You got more demogorgans than you know what to do with, but you do still have this mystery of like what’s going on with Holly Wheeler. Where is she? Likely beyond the wall, but still. How does it work? How is Max going to get back? Don’t know. She’s out there making that Spider-Man money. So they got to keep her in a coma and give her limited screen time. We are getting to the point where I’m like, man, there are so many characters in this show. Folks got to die. Well, we’re in the final season at this point. So, if they die, it’s it’s not like he’s going to help it after the final season. I mean, two of the parents got put in the hospital, but not dead, though.
The cast is pretty extensive at this point. It feels like some characters get left in the background or if the show takes him for granted. There are a lot of irons in the fire here. And in an unexpected hope, I hope whatever they do with this girl who’s in the military base, you know, the one from that arc in season 2 that everyone hates, I hope they do something to validate that arc to create a curiosity. For everyone who skips that episode when they do their rewatch, they’re like, “Wait, well, I should probably watch it again.” Because that to me is a more difficult thing.
You can wipe something from canon. Sure, act like it never happened because the fans hated it. or you and your writers can get together and you can create something that makes that worth it and makes fans be like, “Hey, that we do need that.” That’s always the more difficult path. And if they stick the landing on that, that would be awesome. I’m not saying that will work for everything. Lucasfilm, you did this to yourself. But if they can pull it off here, awesome.
All right. So, Stranger Things season 5 part one. Have you seen it? What did you think about it? What’s your favorite Stranger Things season? Or you can rank them. People’s rankings of Stranger Things seasons from best to worst, at least what I’ve seen, are actually very different.
The Military Antagonist
So, there’s a new military baddy presence in town played by Linda Hamilton. She’s the antagonist. She’s the military antagonist. Anyway, she’s the government military company man heading up this base in Hey, that’s right, the upside down. Cuz the military was like, “Oh my gosh, these cracks in the ground that might very well lead to hell. Let’s set up base in there and weaponize some shit.” Stranger Things Duffer Brothers, you nailed it. That’s the realest thing that would ever happen.Home Alone Demogorgon Sequence
Also, the scene where they infiltrate that military base and Eleven’s hanging onto the rail and there’s the guy in the middle gear solid tower and she like does that and he break did she break his neck? I mean, granted, she tried to incinerate dude who became Vecna. He ended up going into the upside down. She was a little kid who tried to kill somebody. It’s just really dark. These kids must need therapy. I mean, they have seen some crazy at this point. So, they already do. These are the missions that they do. You know, they basically comb these grids in the upside down.They’re looking for Vecna. They’re just going to kill this guy. They get the notion. I think Vecna is in the military base. It was intense as though, man. Because Vecna’s capturing these kids and military is like, we need to round up all these kids. We’re going to protect them or have them in one spot so we can just, you know, make his job easy. So, a lot of demogorgans just tearing holes through the fabric of reality, coming through from the upside down, chasing kids.
Like there’s a whole Home Alone sequence going on. Booby traps and whatnot. Well, that was earlier. Still, the Home Alone sequence was really good. Those demogorgans are hard to kill, man. I mean, jeez, it’s all based on Dn D names. Like, what dice roll is going to take them out? You’re totally going to have to save the game, roll the dice. When you don’t crit, reload your save. Something I never did on Balders’s Gate 3.
Holly Wheeler and the Upside Down Wall
Vcna has captured Holly Wheeler. I’m going to be honest with you. I was like, did they just create a new character that is she new? I don’t remember Holly Wheeler. I just don’t I don’t know why. I don’t I don’t Maybe it’s because this is a new actress playing the character. The character was in previous Stranger Things seasons just played by twins. You know, like the Olsen twins played Michelle. They’re playing one character, right? Anyhow, Vecna, he doesn’t have his makeup, so he only looks, you know, he’s grindlewald. Like, I wouldn’t trust the guy, but I guess he’s very trustworthy looking to some.And he has her in this place. So, the implication there’s this wall in the upside down that’s surrounding upside down Hawkins. We’ve never seen it before, so I’m like, is it is it a new wall? Just because we haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it’s new or not new, but I don’t know. Doesn’t matter. Point is, there’s a wall. And I was thinking like on the other side of that wall would possibly be this place that Holly Wheeler is. But then Sadie Sink Maxine is there. I was like wait the upside down is a physical place. Like you tear through reality to go to this place.
So it’s a physical place that at a point you go into a place and you’re possibly in VCNA’s mind because she Maxine is in a coma in a hospital. She even brings all this up and she’s like how does it work? I have no idea. And neither do I. I mean, we’re dealing with magic in the8s, folks. Magic, alternate dimensions, demons, force powers, upside down, kids who are the offspring of parents who did LSDs to most of my classmates. It’s this wild meta thing where mental headspace meets physical reality meets upside down meets our world. Don’t know.
Vecna’s Epic Transformation
Vecna shows up. Vecna showing up is pretty epic because Vecna looks way more intense in hardcore. Vekchna shows up looking like he’s the film adaptation of the TV show character. Vekchna season 5 looks like when a TV show has the movie adaptation that’s in continuity with the TV show, but the character the creature design just looks more hardcore. I mean, even in the flashback sequence at the beginning of season 5 showing season 1, you know, Will and the upside down and Vecna’s there. Vecna looked like Vecna from season 4. This is like play arts ka coming on the scene. He’s there as demogorgans. I mean, it’s it’s fun entertainment. Folks are getting slaughtered. He’s using the force. He talks to Will like, “You broke so easily, William.”Will’s Super Saiyan Moment
Will’s all sad. Then he reaches his final Super Saiyan form. Super Saiyan hair. No, he still has his bull cut, but his eyes turn into Vecna eyes and he starts controlling the demogorgans or not controlling them, just stops him with the force. Then they raise up and their arms snap like how Vecna was killing people in season 4 and they all drop to the ground. They die. He becomes the anti-vecna, the Jedi to Vecna Sith. I mean, I think or they’re going to make him bad. That’d be they can’t do I mean, they can, but they can’t do that.The Dustin Situation
The Dustin situation. I mean, I guess I can call it that. It’s an interesting one. He’s dying on the hill of Eddie Mson. He knows the sacrifice Eddie made while everyone else is spitting on his name. The jocks at school are picking on him. They’re being douchebags. They’re beating him up. Dustin’s in pain. This is a more broody Dustin than we’ve seen before. It does feel like that fun, carefree kid that Dustin was before is gone now. And that’s a loss you definitely feel, which I get it. Sometimes growing up is not pretty. Sometimes pain is the catalyst. But really, the thing that caught my attention is the friendship, if I can even call it that, between him and Steve. It feels non-existent. It’s very incendiary. It’s very shitti-talky.I’m like, what happened between these two in between seasons? Granted, there is some fair time in between seasons. I hope season 5 does flesh it out. Let us know what happened. I really want Eddie Mson’s name to be cleared by the end of all of this. If it takes a mind flare coming up from the cracks in the ground and do an exposition dump to the president of the United States in this show. Eddie Mson did not kill anyone. Feckn did. That was really convenient. But I guess that kid’s name is cleared now. Awesome. I want everyone to know he’s great. Did one of the greatest needle drops in series history.
Needle Drops and Iconic Moments
Also, season 4 had great needle drops. Also, going back to season 4, master of puppets running up that hill. These are not just moments, they’re iconic.The Endgame
So, in the end, yeah, I think Stranger Things season 5 part one is off to a good start. I mean, it feels bigger. Sometimes I’m like, I don’t really want to watch an hour 20 minute episode, but it does lock me in and I am entertained the entire time. That’s the thing about Stranger Things. Some seasons are stronger than others. Nothing beats season 1 for me. That’s a lot of the times it’s the way it is. Now we’re clearly in the endgame. You got the military setting up a base in the upside down.You got more demogorgans than you know what to do with, but you do still have this mystery of like what’s going on with Holly Wheeler. Where is she? Likely beyond the wall, but still. How does it work? How is Max going to get back? Don’t know. She’s out there making that Spider-Man money. So they got to keep her in a coma and give her limited screen time. We are getting to the point where I’m like, man, there are so many characters in this show. Folks got to die. Well, we’re in the final season at this point. So, if they die, it’s it’s not like he’s going to help it after the final season. I mean, two of the parents got put in the hospital, but not dead, though.
The cast is pretty extensive at this point. It feels like some characters get left in the background or if the show takes him for granted. There are a lot of irons in the fire here. And in an unexpected hope, I hope whatever they do with this girl who’s in the military base, you know, the one from that arc in season 2 that everyone hates, I hope they do something to validate that arc to create a curiosity. For everyone who skips that episode when they do their rewatch, they’re like, “Wait, well, I should probably watch it again.” Because that to me is a more difficult thing.
You can wipe something from canon. Sure, act like it never happened because the fans hated it. or you and your writers can get together and you can create something that makes that worth it and makes fans be like, “Hey, that we do need that.” That’s always the more difficult path. And if they stick the landing on that, that would be awesome. I’m not saying that will work for everything. Lucasfilm, you did this to yourself. But if they can pull it off here, awesome.
All right. So, Stranger Things season 5 part one. Have you seen it? What did you think about it? What’s your favorite Stranger Things season? Or you can rank them. People’s rankings of Stranger Things seasons from best to worst, at least what I’ve seen, are actually very different.